href="mailto:Cbla665743@aol.com">Cecelia Blalock

Packaging World Washington corres

Saccharin warning labels removed

The food industry has long argued that warning labels on products containing saccharin are unnecessary. Apparently its argument resonated with powerful forces in Congress because in a somewhat unusual move, the 2001 appropriations bill for Health and Human Services contained a provision eliminating the warning label for saccharin.

Water, water everywhere

In another of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman's 11th hour regulations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a new requirement. Meat processors must list clearly on labels the percentage of retained water or the maximum percentage of absorbed water of meat and poultry products.

Proposed new biotech food rules

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a 120-day premarket notification for biotech foods in which manufacturers would provide the FDA with information demonstrating that the product is as safe as its conventional counterpart.

Beware the fine print

To overhaul the drug warnings to physicians usually found in fine print on drug packages or package inserts, the Food and Drug Administration proposed new regulations for new prescription drug packaging.

More from href="mailto:Cbla665743@aol.com">Cecelia Blalock

Attacks on irradiation misplaced, say food organizations

According to the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) and the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), a recent report attacking food irradiation by the public interest group Public Citizen hinders food safety efforts.

Country of origin labeling a marketing, not a safety issue

Opponents of a bill, sponsored by Idaho Representative Helen Chenoweth-Hage requiring mandatory country-of-origin labeling for the livestock in meat and meat products, told a House Agriculture Subcommittee that such a requirement would impose significant burdens on the food industry, be extremely costly, and would damage U.S. ability to export its meats.

Vampires maybe, cholesterol no

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is advising consumers that many label and ad claims that garlic supplements lower cholesterol are false and misleading.

New health claim for heart disease

The Federal Drug Administration has approved a new health claim for food labels linking plant sterol or plant stanol to a reduction in coronary heart disease.